


Things They Don't Teach You in Library School

by miraellie



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: F/M, Library AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-18 14:27:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18251699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraellie/pseuds/miraellie
Summary: They don’t teach classes on how to not be attracted to your new coworker at library school. Nor how to handle your friends plotting to get you together.





	1. Chapter 1

In general, Ardyn Izunia liked his life.

Some might say it was too boring. (Okay, Somnus and Noctis were the ones who said it was boring. As if he’d asked their opinions in the first place.) No, being the Head Librarian in one of the quieter library branches of Insomnia wasn’t as thrilling as, say, being in the military or being a literal Prince. And yes, Ardyn spent most of his free time alone, save for the days where he and Somnus met up to play chess and generally irritate each other, or the days he went to a wine tasting.

And, yes, sometimes the most exciting thing to happen in his day was someone threw up somewhere in the building. Or kids from the nearby school and university decided to ignore their studies and got too amorous in the reference section. That was fine.

It suited Ardyn, his quiet life. And if he was sometimes lonely, or sometimes wished for something to break the monotony, he kept it to himself. He would rather be eaten alive by Leviathan than admit to anything of the sort to either Somnus or Noctis.

(And the last time he wished for something to break the monotony, a drunk man ran naked through the library. Ardyn had since learned his lesson in that regard.)

Somnus accused him of not being over Aera. Which was patently false. He and Aera ended things on good terms and were still friends. So what if Ardyn hadn’t dated since they’d broken things off five years ago?

Little brothers were a curse.

All that was to say that, when Ardyn stepped into the library on a late summer afternoon, he was content with his place in the universe and didn’t see things changing drastically any time soon.

So it was a surprise when he saw a woman with warm black skin in a dress printed with sunflowers standing in the backroom. Her box braids were tied back with a yellow tie and hung down to her waist. She was impeccably put together. Compared to her, Ardyn felt rather messy in his weekend slacks and wine-colored sweater. His brown hair was already escaping from the leather cord he’d used to tie it back.

The woman turned from the computer when he walked in and smiled, somewhat reservedly. “Hi. I’m Elpis, the new Youth Librarian.”

Ah, Ardyn thought, that’s right. The manager had said something about finally hiring a new youth librarian.

Belatedly, he realized Elpis had held out her hand for him to shake. “My apologies,” Ardyn said hurriedly, taking her hand in his. Her skin was soft. “Ardyn Izunia. Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

“Same to you.” Elpis looked around the backroom, hands going behind her back. “So what’s the routine around here?”

“Well,” Ardyn began as he passed her to clock in. She had some sort of perfume on, nothing overwhelming, just enough to give him a whiff of honeysuckle. “We get the computers started, and clean the tables. If there’s anything that needs shelved, we do that.”

Elpis nodded slightly. Ardyn gave her a sidelong glance--and not because his gaze was drawn to her full lips, topped with a subtle gloss, or her thoughtful brown eyes.

He shoved those thoughts aside. “Have you not worked in a library before?” It would have been unusual for the manager to hire someone without any experience for her position, but perhaps he’d been desperate. They’d been without for a while.

“I have,” Elpis said, finding the cleaning supplies in a cabinet and taking out what she needed. “Back in my hometown. Lux. It was, um, pretty small compared to this.”

Ardyn had to think for a moment to recall where Lux even was -- somewhere in the desert near Hammerhead, he thought, closer to Galdin Quay. A relatively popular touristy town, one he was surprised to learn even had a library.

He smiled reassuringly at her. “No need to worry, Miss Elpis. It’ll be slow today, or slower than normal. It’s too pretty a day to be inside.”

Elpis slowly returned the smile with one of her own. “I suppose I am a little nervous. I’m new to Insomnia, so I don’t really know what to expect.”

“You’ll be fine,” he said, resisting the urge to ask her about her life before now. They only had twenty minutes until opening. He couldn’t spend it talking to her, no matter how much he might want to. “If you need help, just come over to my side. I’ll be happy to lend a hand.”

Her smile broadened and Ardyn’s heart jumped into his throat. Sweet Six, but she was _beautiful_.

“Thank you. And by the way... just call me Elpis.”

Ardyn pushed his glasses up, more for something to do than a need. “Ah... very well, Elpis.”

She turned to leave, but Ardyn spoke up before she could. For whatever reason, he didn’t want her to go just yet. “Have you taken a look at the children’s area yet?”

Elpis paused, something like amusement crossing over her expression. “Yeah, I did when I interviewed. It’s very...”

She licked her lips, causing Ardyn’s gaze to fall to her mouth yet again, before she said in a diplomatic tone, “I’m looking forward to getting started on the work. I certainly won’t be bored.”

They shared a long look, and Ardyn found himself grinning like a fool. Their library was, in a word, a disaster; the funding had steadily been cut over the years as the war with Niflheim grew worse. They ran on a skeleton crew most days. The last time anyone had paid any proper attention to the children’s area had been... a while. The gods only knew how much work it might need to get it back into respectable shape.

“I look forward to seeing what you’ll do with it.”

Elpis blinked in surprise. “Oh--um, thanks. That’s really nice of you.”

“I mean it,” Ardyn said. “I’m not saying it to be nice.”

“Right.”

Elpis stood there for a moment before seemingly regaining her senses. She put on her red lanyard and left the backroom to go to the children’s area. Ardyn watched her leave, feeling somewhat dazed. Then he realized he still needed to prepare the library to open and shook himself out of his strange mood.

He almost wished it _would_ be a busy day. A slow one would give him too much time to think about his new coworker.

* * *

It was not a slow day.

Ardyn needn’t have worried about being distracted, because it seemed as if everyone on the library’s side of Insomnia decided to stop in that particular day. Even the shelver and pager had to be pulled in to help out with the patrons.

He was so busy helping people with the computers and the printers and with their accounts that the only time he thought of Elpis was when he heard a child’s delighted screech from the children’s area. They had a small play area for the children to use while their parents were on the computers. Ardyn was half certain that they were more popular than the playgrounds today.

When he finally locked the doors (after chasing out the few patrons who stayed past the closing time, of course), Ardyn let out a sigh of relief. He took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes, sighing when he felt the tension between his shoulders. He’d spent too much time hunched over computers today.

He felt a light touch on his arm and saw a fuzzy, white-ish blur held up by something that might have been a brown hand. Ardyn set his glasses back on his nose and found Elpis standing next to him with a cup of tea and a small smile on her face.

He stared. She looked pristine, as if her first day on the job hadn’t been five hours full of hyper children and irritable parents.

“I’ve found it helps me relax after a hard day,” Elpis said, and Ardyn realized he was staring like an idiot yet again.

“Ah--my thanks,” he said, taking the cup from her. He took a small sip, tasting peppermint, and slowly felt his shoulders come down from his ears.

For a while, they only stood by the doors, looking out at the darkening city. Finally Ardyn said, “I hope today hasn’t scared you away from our noble profession?”

Inwardly, he cringed. Of all the times for his way with words to leave him.

Elpis smiled, but it wasn’t mockingly; she seemed to like his description.

“I would, at the very least, give the manager two week’s notice before I left,” she said lightly, and Ardyn was surprised to find himself chuckling.

“I wouldn’t blame you if you left today and never returned. Today was abnormal.”

Elpis shrugged a shoulder. “It wasn’t too bad.” She finished off the last of her tea and, seeing Ardyn had done the same, offered to take his cup. He shook his head and took hers instead, noting her somewhat surprised expression.

“Go ahead and leave for the day,” Ardyn said kindly. “I can finish up the last few things here.”

“Are you sure? I’m fine, really. I can help.”

“I insist,” Ardyn said as he headed to the employee kitchen, Elpis trailing behind him.

She must have sensed she wouldn’t win this particular argument, for she opened her locker and took out an orange purse. She seemed to love bright colors; she was like a flash of lightning next to Ardyn’s muted colors.

“Okay, I guess. Have a good night. It was nice meeting you.”

Ardyn smiled and bowed his head, somewhat jokingly. “And it was nice meeting you as well, Elpis.”

She cast a glance at him over her shoulder before she left. As the backdoor closed, Ardyn leaned against the wall, let out a deep breath, and wondered how much trouble he might be in.

* * *

 _Oh, I’m in trouble,_ Elpis thought with a sigh as she rested her head against the train’s window. Of all the problems she’d expected to have in a new city, a handsome coworker had not been one of them. All her coworkers at Lux had been old enough to be her grandfather and had treated her much the same way. Somehow, she’d thought a library in Insomnia would be the same. The manager had been an older man, after all.

There wasn’t even anything that _striking_ about Ardyn Izunia. He was almost plain at first glance--brown hair that fell to his shoulders, blue eyes behind black frames, and a day’s worth of stubble lining his jaw. He had a quiet bearing about him that didn’t really draw attention. But once she’d looked closer, Elpis found she couldn’t stop staring. His features were strong, his nose being the most prominent, his jawline sharp. His shoulders had been broad in a way that made her think he wouldn’t have a problem lifting her.

It had been his expression that had finally hooked her. Ardyn looked like a kind, noble man. She had happened to see him helping an older lady out of the library earlier in the day, despite the bustling crowd of patrons who needed help. Her heart had given a lurch at the sight.

Elpis pulled out her phone, biting her bottom lip before opening up her messenger. There was already a text from her housemate, Alexus.

_Weirdo: how’d the first day go? you gonna run for the hills screaming?_

_No_ , she replied. _It was fine. Busy. But my coworker is kind of... attractive._

_Weirdo: omg you met a sexy librarian????????????? pics or it didn’t happen_

Holding back an exasperated but affectionate sigh, Elpis did a quick search for Ardyn Izunia -- unsurprisingly, there were no other Ardyn Izunias in Insomnia, and the first result was a professional headshot of him. It looked to be a few years out of date, but nothing much had changed save maybe the length of his hair.

Elpis downloaded the picture and sent it to Alexus. A strange period of silence followed before her phone rang. The caller ID showed it to be Alexus.

“ _Holy shit_ ,” Alexus shouted into the phone before Elpis could even say hello. “Holy shit, Ellie, this guy isn’t just attractive, he’s fucking _lethal_. How did you not burst into flames of lust when you saw him?”

Mildly, Elpis said, “This is why most of your partners say you’re too intense for them.”

“Don’t change the subject. You’re gonna hit that, right? Right? Like, even just once?”

Elpis’ cheeks warmed at the thought. It didn’t help that she had definitely noticed how well his trousers fit his ass. His very supple ass, followed by very thick thighs.

“He’s my coworker. I’m not looking to set my new life on fire right out of the gate.” Elpis gazed out the window at the city, dark with night. The lights of buildings were nothing but a blur from the train’s speed. “Anyway, Laelia and Charis had dinner, right? And Laelia’s homework is done?”

“No, no, you’re not changing the subject. But yes, they ate, no one is bleeding from the head or on fire, and Laelia did her homework like a good girl. They’re watching some hilariously trashy reality show now, about some super rich family. This place is fucking nuts.”

“And to think, we grew up without television at all,” Elpis deadpanned.

“We were deprived. Just like you’re planning on depriving yourself of some truly excellent dick.”

Elpis hid her face in her hand. Try as she might, she couldn’t shake the mental image of Ardyn without any clothes on. Would he be fit underneath his somewhat frumpy clothes, she wondered?

 _You’re only acting this way because it’s been a while,_ Elpis told herself sternly. She hadn’t been out on a date, much less stayed over at a man’s place, since her mother had died eight years before.

Suddenly being in charge of two minors tended to kill any chance of a romantic life.

“It’s not going to happen, Alexus. I’ll be home in a bit. Don’t let them watch too much of that show.”

“WE ARE ABSOLUTELY GOING TO DISCUSS THIS WHEN YOU GET HOME--” Alexus’ voice dimmed as Elpis brought the phone away from her ear, then ended the call.

She went back to the picture of Ardyn, debating with herself. No one would ever know if she just happened to look him up on Lucisbook...

Before she could feel too bad about it, she pulled up the Lucisbook app and typed in Ardyn Izunia. Disappointment flooded her as she saw his profile header image: He was sitting underneath a tree with a stunningly gorgeous blonde woman with a kind face. A look at his details confirmed he was in a relationship with the woman, who was apparently named Aera.

Elpis closed the app before she could click on Aera’s name to look at her profile. Resolutely, she set her phone back in her pocket and acknowledged her disappointment before squaring it away in the back of her mind.

It was just as well. She was obviously not Ardyn’s type, and she had too much going on in her life now to even think about romance. She had a history of choosing poorly anyway. It was better to just stay away from the entire thing.

Ardyn Izunia was her coworker. That was all he could ever be.

* * *

“So,” Somnus said as Ardyn finally left the library for the night, “who’s the new girl?”

Ardyn bit back a curse. He’d forgotten Somnus had planned to stop by that night. “The new youth librarian,” Ardyn answered shortly.

His brother, used to Ardyn being short with him, merely said, “She’s pretty cute.”

The look Somnus gave him made Ardyn’s hackles raise. That smug smirk had always annoyed the hell out of him. The way it implied Somnus could see right through his older brother made Ardyn wish he wasn’t a pacifist.

“I hadn’t noticed,” Ardyn said as they began to walk to Somnus’ car. At least he wouldn’t have to ride the train after the day he’d had.

“Liar.”

“Leave it, Som,” Ardyn said. He got into the car and clicked his seatbelt into place while hoping Somnus’ was broken. Maybe they’d get into an accident on the way to Ardyn’s flat. Nothing too terrible, but just enough to make Somnus smack into the steering wheel and maybe knock some sense into him...

“I didn’t say anything,” Somnus said, his tone innocent.

“She’s a coworker.”

“Yeah? Does the library have a policy against coworkers dating each other?”

As a matter of fact, they didn’t. The only rules for such was that a partner couldn’t be employed at the same location. There was no rule against two coworkers meeting and then later on deciding to date each other.

Somnus did not need to know that. Ever.

“Yes,” Ardyn said. “And she mentioned a boyfriend.”

Now _that_ was a lie that couldn’t last. Ardyn had to hope Somnus didn’t care enough to look Elpis up online. Anyway, someone as beautiful as Elpis would obviously be in a relationship already.

Somnus made a noncommittal noise as he navigated the car through the crush of nighttime traffic. Ardyn cast him a sidelong glance and decided he was sufficiently distracted. Ardyn took up his phone and opened up his long neglected Lucisbook app. He winced as he saw that his profile was still decorated with pictures of him and Aera together. His last post had been five years and some months ago--before he and Aera had gone their separate ways. He desperately needed to update his profile.

Quickly, he went to search for Elpis, then paused when he realized he didn’t know her last name. At a loss, he merely entered ‘Elpis’ into the search bar. More hits came back than he expected--Elpis wasn’t a popular name--and it took him a second to find the one he wanted amidst the others.

Her icon showed her in large sunglasses and a hat, sitting on a beach chair, her shoulders bare save for the thin straps of a bathing suit. The picture cut off well above her chest. Ardyn wasn’t certain if he was thankful for that or annoyed. His irritation melted away as he saw her expression: She was sticking her tongue out at whoever was taking the picture.

Ardyn smiled slightly. She looked happy in the sunlight.

He clicked her profile. His heart sped up when he saw that she was listed as “single” and was interested in men. Her political stance was listed as “basically, fuck the monarchies”, which gave him some pause.

He scrolled on, setting that aside to worry about later. She was only a year younger than he was--twenty-nine to his thirty. She’d stopped updating her movies, books, and music sometime around eight years before. A quick look through her posts showed that she’d posted often up until that same time, then she only checked in occasionally.

A preview of a video caught Ardyn’s eye, or rather, a comment underneath the video, posted by someone named “Alexus”:

_YAAAAASSSS KWEEN!!!! you need to get drunk more often if this is what happens!!!!!!! flawless bitch_

“Oh my gods.” Somnus’ voice made him jump. Before Ardyn could hide his phone, his brother reached over and grabbed it, looking at the screen with unholy glee. He began laughing. “You’re _stalking her Lucisbook_?”

“Aren’t you driving?” Ardyn looked out the window and saw they were at a stoplight, one that was notorious for taking forever to change.

How he could have been so stupid as to let his guard down around his little brother, Ardyn didn’t know.

“Give me my phone back.”

“No,” Somnus said. He turned up the volume and clicked play on the video Ardyn had paused on. The familiar strings of an older song, muffled underneath the voices of a crowd, filled the cabin. Someone close to the phone was cheering. Somnus’ expression went from glee to something Ardyn couldn’t read, then he pressed a hand to his mouth. He handed the phone back to Ardyn without a word.

Intrigued despite himself, Ardyn turned the volume down to a less ear-bleeding level and pressed play once again. Elpis was dressed in a yellow bikini top, a bathing suit cover tied over her hips. Her hair was loose instead of braided, falling in kinky curls to her waist, sticking to her sweaty skin as she danced to the song. From the somewhat uncoordinated movement of her limbs, she was obviously drunk.

She was also the hottest thing Ardyn had seen in... a while. The way her hips swayed to the song, the muscles in her stomach undulating, the blissful look on her face as she mouthed along to the lyrics--

Ardyn clicked the back button before his body could respond to the thoughts in his head. Gods, but he’d like to see her face make that expression while she rode him.

 _No,_ Ardyn thought. _She’s a coworker. You’ve only just met. You barely know her._

Somnus, as if reading Ardyn’s thoughts, put a steady hand on his shoulder. “You’re fucked, bro.”

He feared Somnus might be right.


	2. Chapter Two

The best part about working in a library that was, to put it politely, a small-scale disaster, was that the amount of work Elpis had to do kept her from focusing too much on Ardyn.

The Insomnia West Sector Library was bigger than the Lux library--by a lot--and the children’s area was clear on the other end of the building from Ardyn’s section. Save for the mornings when they were both in the backroom, Elpis found she wasn’t around Ardyn that much. She purposefully took her breaks at different times than he did. The Research Librarian, Ignis, was the one who covered the children’s desk during her breaks, so she didn’t see Ardyn then, either.

Otherwise, Elpis threw herself into her work. She’d never finished university, but she’d completed enough of it to know how to fix her domain. First she scoured the juvenile non-fiction section, pulling books that looked worn or old or were, frankly, falling apart. After weeding the ones that were beyond repair or had outdated information, she began replacing them with newer books on the same subjects.

The manager had been apologetic when he’d handed her the budget for her areas. “They’ve cut our funding to support the war efforts,” he’d said. “You won’t have much to work with.”

Elpis had reassured him it was fine. She was a pro at working with a minimal budget.

The most important things to replace were the toys in the children’s play area--the area rug with shapes and colors listed on it was resistant to any of her attempts to clean it, so she ordered a new one with zoo animals on it, then gleefully pitched the old one. She bought new toys and a children’s tablet loaded with educational games. She repaired what she could of the furniture, but she would have to wait until next year’s budget came through to replace any of it.

She bought new copies of the Cosmogony and replaced some of the other more important books that were likely to be popular once school started up again. As the last finishing touch, she rearranged the shelves, adding space for future books and making it flow better.

All in all, it took her about a month to completely overhaul the non-fiction section. It wasn’t as long as she’d feared.

One morning, in the hour before the library was set to open and everyone was preparing, Elpis was tackling the board books when she heard footsteps and a quiet “Oh” behind her.

Surprised, she spun around--and her heart dropped when she saw that it was Ardyn who stood behind her. He was staring at the non-fiction section with a look of somewhat muted shock.

“Um,” Elpis managed, “good morning, sir.”

Ardyn caught her eye and raised an eyebrow. It was something she’d noticed during the brief times they’d been around each other: His face was expressive. His eyebrows alone could say more than his mouth.

Right now, he was looking at her with an expression of polite neutrality, though she caught a hint of confusion behind it.

“Good morning, E--ah, Miss Elpis,” he said. “I came to tell you that Ignis is out sick today, so I’ll be the one to cover your lunch.”

“Oh. Okay. Thanks for letting me know.”

Elpis turned back to the board books, hoping that was the end of it. When she still felt his presence behind her, though, she reluctantly looked over her shoulder. Ardyn was studying her with a small frown, and when their gazes caught, he roused himself.

“Have I done something to offend you, Miss Elpis?”

“What?” Elpis gave up on the board books and picked up the stack she’d gathered to look at. They felt grimy beneath her fingers. It gave her something to focus on other than Ardyn’s beautiful blue eyes. “No, of course not. Why do you ask?”

“Ah,” Ardyn said, fidgeting.

Elpis blinked. Was he _nervous_?

“It’s only that you seem to be avoiding me,” Ardyn said. An awkward silence stretched between them as Elpis tried to figure out what to say. Ardyn ran a hand through his hair, which looked silky soft, and Elpis tried to quash the urge to tangle her fingers in it. “Never mind. Saying it out loud, it sounds ridiculous.”

“No,” Elpis said. “No, um, I’m not avoiding you.”

_I am totally avoiding you._

She continued, “I’ve just been really busy with work.”

Ardyn’s gaze went once more to the non-fiction section. He picked up a little plush coeurl Elpis had brought from home to decorate the top of the shelf. It had been Laelia’s at one point, but she’d long since stopped playing with stuffed animals. Elpis had been hanging on to it for no real reason save nostalgia.

“You’ve done an incredible job,” Ardyn said sincerely. Then he pinned her with a look. “All this in a month, as well? You’re not overworking yourself, are you?”

Elpis wanted to laugh. She didn’t know any other way to work _except_ to overdo it. And yet his concern for her made her want to melt. It’d been a long time since someone had last shown concern for her. She loved Alexus and her sisters, but they had become used to her overworking.

“I’m fine,” she answered automatically. She set the books down on her desk and, after a moment’s pause, met his gaze. “But... thank you for asking. I appreciate it.”

Ardyn smiled, and Elpis’ heart felt like it would burst out of her chest. Gods, he was truly handsome. The thought struck her suddenly. She bit back a groan as she quickly looked away. She’d hoped her crush would have disappeared by now.

Well, there was an easy way to get rid of pesky emotions. Elpis thought of the beautiful Aera and what an attractive couple she and Ardyn made. It hurt, but pain was better than attraction. She’d had a long history of dealing with pain, anyway.

Briskly, Elpis said, “You should get back to work. And so should I.”

She turned and escaped into the backroom before Ardyn could say anything else, then headed to the employee bathroom and locked the door behind her. Elpis leaned against it with a sigh. It was ridiculous that she was resorting to a cliche like hiding the bathroom. All because she was attracted to her coworker.

 _Crushes only last for two weeks,_ Elpis told herself. _And attraction will fade eventually. I just have to hang on until it does._

* * *

Ardyn considered the coeurl plush thoughtfully. “I’ve definitely offended her somehow,” he murmured to the toy as he stroked its soft ears. “But how?”

The coeurl had no answers for him. Sighing, Ardyn set it back on the shelf.

The morning passed slowly, to the point where Ardyn--inspired by Elpis’ cleaning of the juvenile non-fiction section--began combing through the fiction shelves and pulling books to be weeded. It was a task that had long since needed to be done. There was just rarely any time for it. When lunch rolled around, he had two carts full of books that needed to be tossed, and he hadn’t even made it halfway through the alphabet yet.

He was standing at the front desk when someone behind him covered his eyes with their hands. Chuckling, Ardyn said, “Hello, Aera.”

“You’re supposed to be surprised,” Aera admonished as she lowered her hands and came to stand beside him.

Ardyn placed a hand on his chest and gave a mock gasp, earning him an affectionately exasperated glare from his childhood friend. She soon smiled again though.

“I thought I’d stop by to say hi. And maybe see if you wanted to go to lunch?”

Privately, Ardyn marveled that Aera felt no awkwardness asking him such a thing, given their past. And, perhaps, a little hurt that she had gotten over him and their relationship much more easily than he had.

Then again, it had been five years. Even he could admit he was being a little pathetic. That was just his way, though--when he loved, he loved deeply. But they had been friends for years before they’d been a couple. It should have been easy for him to switch back to that.

“I can’t,” Ardyn said apologetically. “I have to cover for the youth librarian.”

Aera clasped her hands together. “That’s right! I’d heard you finally found someone for that. I’m so glad.”

She stopped, blinking at something beyond Ardyn, then smiled slightly. “Is that her?”

Turning, Ardyn saw Elpis approaching him slowly, a tall redhead by her side. He vaguely recognized the other person from Elpis’ Lucisbook (which he had only ever glanced at once more after the initial time, despite Somnus’ mockery that suggested otherwise). When Elpis saw Aera, she stopped momentarily, an expression Ardyn couldn’t read on her face.

“I’m stealing this one from ya for a while,” her friend--Alexus, he remembered the name now--said as they slung an arm around Elpis’ shoulders. They gave Ardyn a long look as if daring him to object. Or maybe, given how their gaze slid down his entire body, appraising him. Though for what he couldn’t imagine.

 _Perhaps they want to steal my organs,_ Ardyn thought. Alexus looked entirely like someone who might put a person into that situation, and not entirely by accident.

Aera smiled. “It’s wonderful to have a new librarian here. I’m Aera.”

Elpis’ smile seemed forced to Ardyn, though he wasn’t sure how he could tell. “Elpis. It’s nice to meet you.”

Alexus pointed a finger at Aera and Ardyn. “Are you two together?”

A stunned silence fell over the group. Elpis looked as if she wanted to either murder her friend or crawl into a hole somewhere; Ardyn could only blink in surprise. Aera rose an eyebrow and, after a moment, smirked.

“No,” she said, looking between Elpis and Ardyn with an amused expression. “We’re good friends now.”

“Why, er, why do you ask?” Ardyn couldn’t help wanting to know.

Alexus shrugged nonchalantly even as they grinned. “Curiousity.”

“Killed the cat,” Elpis muttered darkly.

“And satisfaction brought it back,” Aera finished. She shared a look with Alexus that Ardyn couldn’t decipher and he found that whatever was happening now terrified him. It was as if two forces that should never meet had, and it could only bode ill for the entire planet.

To Elpis he said, “You should go. We’ve taken up too much of your break already. If you need to stay later, don’t hesitate to do so.”

“That’s nice of you,” Alexus said. “But don’t worry. She’ll be back to save your hide right on time.”

Elpis only nodded and let Alexus steer her away, her gaze on the floor. Ardyn watched her until she’d disappeared into the backroom. When he heard Aera laugh quietly, he blinked and turned to her.

“Oh, she’s _very_ beautiful,” Aera said with a knowing glint in her blue eyes.

Ardyn found himself suddenly very interested in the computer before him. “I hadn’t noticed.”

Aera rolled her eyes. “That’s why you were staring after her like a puppy.”

“I have to go,” Ardyn managed to say as Ignis came over to the front desk to cover for Ardyn. He escaped to the children’s area and, as it was empty, hid himself in the stacks so that Aera wouldn’t come looking for him.

The little coeurl plush stared down at him. Ardyn pushed his glasses up and gave it an annoyed look. “Don’t you start, too.”

* * *

Alexus sent a friend request  
 **Accept** | Ignore

Aera is now friends with Alexus

 **Alexus:** so we’re totally getting them together, right? right?   
**Alexus:** i mean you noticed that they’re stupidly hot for each other too, yeah? but they’re also stupidly not going to do anything about it?  
 **Alexus:** esp bc ellie thought you were still his girlfriend  
  
**Aera:** The fact that he hasn’t updated his Lucisbook in five years likely led her to that conclusion. He’s a little hopeless when it comes to that sort of thing.  
 **Aera:** I really shouldn’t get involved in my friend’s romantic life.

 **Alexus:** damn. i was hoping you had no shame, like me.

 **Aera:** I said I shouldn’t, not that I wasn’t going to.

 **Alexus:** you. i like you. let’s be best friends.

* * *

Aera was not Ardyn’s girlfriend.

That information was so surprising that Elpis didn’t immediately know what to do with it. So she pushed it to the back of her mind for the rest of the day, then the day after that as well, and the day after that for good measure. Any time Alexus tried to bridge the subject with her, Elpis quickly found something else to do or talk about.

“Just be friends with him,” Alexus said. “Add him on Lucisbook. What could it hurt?”

 _Me,_ Elpis thought. _It could hurt me._

She didn’t have time for heartbreak. There were schools to visit with Laelia and Charis, uniforms to buy, new doctors to visit for Laelia’s leg, plus all the work Elpis had to do for her own job. She had to reconnect with the schools that were near the West Sector library and figure out what programs she might be able to do. After she had tackled the non-fiction section, she had moved on to the children’s books.

And, secretly, Elpis worked towards one very large, possibly unattainable goal: Bringing back Storytime to the library.

According to the manager, they’d had to stop Storytime a few years before. In one lonely corner of the children’s area, next to the easy picture books, stood a circular room that was designed to look like a castle. Elpis had found the keys to its doors shortly after starting in her new position. One morning before opening, she’d dared to venture inside.

It took her several long minutes to stop sneezing from the thick layer of dust that had built up. Instead of towers of stone, there were towers made of boxes. No longer used for its intended purpose, it had been made into a storage room, and Elpis found all manner of random odds and ends inside: Old toys, old supplies for spine labels and the protective dust jackets they put on books, even old newspapers from before the war with Niflheim. A few spiders fled from her as she moved about the labyrinth the towers made.

She managed to tiptoe her way to a bright yellow cabinet. It was nearly blocked by boxes, but she was able to open the door just enough to peek inside and see old Storytime books.

“Wow,” Elpis murmured to herself. If given enough attention, the room could be amazing. Right now it was outdated and neglected, but in the future...

“Hello?” A familiar voice called out from somewhere near the room’s door.

Elpis’ heart lodged in her throat. “Oh, uh, it’s only me,” she said, shimmying out from the yellow cabinet and beginning to make her way back towards the front.

“Elpis?” Ardyn sounded faintly amused and, a moment later, she saw him maneuver through the thin space between boxes. “Are you quite all right in here? It’s rather dark.”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Elpis said. “I had time, so I thought to investigate this room.”

Ardyn made a thoughtful noise as he glanced around. “It reminds me of a game children play, when you’re separated and can’t find each other. Someone says ‘Marco’--”

“--And someone else replies ‘Polo’,” Elpis said, grinning. She’d finally made her way to him. “I’ll admit, if there had been a few more boxes, I might have started calling for help.”

That earned her a chuckle, a low sound that slid down her spine and left a delightful tingly feeling behind. “Are you saying you would have been a princess in a tower, awaiting a knight in shining armor to come rescue her from a curse?”

Elpis swallowed hard. No one had ever compared her to a princess before. “I... I suppose so. Rescue me from the horrors of dust, maybe.”

“Hmm.” Ardyn was staring at her intently, and it was too dark for Elpis to make out his expression. Which was good, because it meant he couldn’t see hers either, and she was certain she looked flustered.

In a romance novel--a genre that Elpis read without shame--this was where the hero and heroine would kiss for the very first time, Elpis realized. The dark room, the quiet of the library before opening, both of them unable to be seen by anyone passing by. She had read books with flimsier set ups. Ardyn would press her up against the boxes and put his hand underneath her chin to tilt her face up. His body would be warm. He would say something utterly romantic, waiting for a sign that he could continue, and Elpis would give him permission by closing her eyes and leaning forward. And then--

Elpis sneezed with a small squeak, nearly falling into a tower in doing so. Silence followed before she could make out Ardyn’s shoulders shaking.

“Ah--bless you,” he managed to say, his voice strained from the effort of not laughing.

“Oh, go ahead and laugh,” she grumbled, aware her squeaky sneeze was ridiculous. “I sound like a mouse, I know--”

Something beside her shifted with a cracking of cardboard and a heavy groan. She heard Ardyn shout, “Elpis!” before she felt his arm came around her waist, his body slid in front of hers, and then a loud, painful grunt as boxes hit Ardyn’s back with several terrifyingly painful thuds. His body jerked against hers, but he didn’t waver, didn’t fall. He kept his arms tightly around her, her head pressed to his chest.

As soon as it started, it ended. They both stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, before Ardyn let out a low hiss of pain. Elpis gasped and looked up at his face.

“Oh my gods,” she said. “You’re hurt!”

“I--I’m fine,” Ardyn said, then groaned.

“You are _not_ fine, you liar, you were nearly buried underneath hundreds of pounds of boxes full of newspapers, _of all things_ \--”

He managed a quiet laugh. “Better that I fall to it than you.”

Elpis wasn’t sure whether to smack him or kiss him. Ignoring both urges, she pulled herself out of his arms with a pang of regret and gripped his wrist. “Come on. Let’s get the medical kit.”

* * *

Ardyn had, quite possibly, downplayed the severity of his pain. His entire back felt as if someone had taken a metal bat to it several times, and he could feel blood soaking into his sweater from a cut on his shoulder. Doubtless he would be black and blue by the next day.

As Elpis worried over him, though, Ardyn couldn’t help but think: _Worth it._

She’d led him out of the fire hazard of a Storytime room to the breakroom and, after getting the medical kit out, ordered him to sit down. He’d done so without complaint. Ignis could manage the opening duties for a minute.

“I didn’t mean to worry you so much,” Ardyn said.

Elpis cast him a glance before returning her attention to the medical kit. There was a long streak of dust on her nose and cheek, and Ardyn’s fingers itched to reach out and brush it away. Really, she was covered in dust--it was in her braids and on the skirt of her sky blue dress and her black tights.

“It’s my fault,” Elpis said. “I should have been more careful.”

“I don’t think it would have been possible,” Ardyn said. “There wasn’t much room.”

He waited a beat before saying, “And besides, I was only fulfilling my knightly duty.”

That got him the reaction he wanted: Elpis tried hard not to smile, failed, and shook her head. “Silly man,” she whispered, then motioned to his sweater. “I think, um, you need to... take that off.”

Ardyn’s mind went blank. His first instinct was to suggest she help him with that task. Then his brain caught up with his hormones--gods, he was thirty years old, not _fifteen_ \--and Ardyn cleared his throat. “Ah. Right.”

Trying not to visibly wince, he pulled the black sweater over his head, the fabric sticking to the cut on his shoulder. The air in the breakroom was cold, but as Elpis circled around to his back, her eyes never leaving him, Ardyn felt warm all over.

He nearly jumped when he felt her hands on his skin. Elpis brushed his hair out of her way, and it took every bit of willpower he possessed not to shiver. Could she see how even that minor touch was affecting him? If so, what was she thinking?

Ardyn felt her breath on his neck and tightly shut his eyes. Gods, how much was he expected to bear?

“The cut isn’t deep,” Elpis said, a note of relief in her tone.

“What cut--I mean, good. That’s good.” His voice came out too husky. Ardyn decided it was safer not to talk until Elpis was done.

Elpis set about cleaning it and setting a bandage over it. She was finished all too soon. When she came back to stand in front of him, she wouldn’t meet his gaze. “I truly am sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have been in there by myself.”

Curious now despite himself, Ardyn said, “Why were you?”

Sighing, Elpis closed the medical kit and picked up his sweater. As she examined the tear in the fabric, she said, “You’ll laugh, maybe, but I want to do Storytime here again.”

Her body was tense, as if she truly did expect him to laugh at her. Instead, Ardyn smiled broadly and said, “That’s a wonderful idea.”

“Really? I’m beginning to think the room is cursed.”

He laughed. “You should do it. When we first did away with it, we had many parents say they missed it. Children, too. I think it gave them something to look forward to, other than...”

The war. Life and its struggles.

Elpis nodded slowly. “I’m... thank you for telling me that. I was thinking it was a pipe dream.”

“Not at all,” Ardyn said earnestly, leaning forward, trying to meet her gaze. “Look at what you’ve already accomplished in the short amount of time you’ve been here. You’ve done something truly marvelous, and you can do this, as well.”

Elpis blinked rapidly, as if she were holding back tears, and gave him a shaky smile. “That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. Thank you, Ardyn.”

Earlier, in the Storytime room, there had been a long moment when Ardyn had seriously considered kissing her. The way she looked at him now--her expression full of gratitude and hope and happiness--made him consider it once again. He reached out for her hand, taking it in his, and his heart lifted hopefully when she didn’t pull away.

“Elpis--”

“It’s nearly time to open,” Ignis said from the breakroom door. He took a long look at Ardyn before raising an eyebrow. “Why are you half-naked in the kitchen?”

Elpis let her hand fall from his, and Ardyn began to plot Ignis’ murder. “There was a small accident,” she said, her tone surprisingly even. “He cut his shoulder, so I was getting it bandaged.”

She handed Ardyn his sweater and, with a suppressed sigh of disappointment, Ardyn slipped it back on. Everyone paused when they noticed the cut in the fabric.

“Well,” Ignis said, looking between them both with something like suspicion, “he can’t go to work in that. Go back home and change. I can watch the front desk until you’ve returned.”

“Good idea,” Elpis chimed in, then offered Ardyn a small smile. She waited until Ignis had gone before saying, “Thank you again.”

Ardyn returned her smile with one of his own and put a hand to his heart. “It was the very least I could do.”

Elpis turned to leave, then suddenly turned back around. “I can fix your sweater,” she said without preamble. “Just, um. Bring it back to work and leave it with me.”

“Ah, you don’t have to. It’s a little old, anyway--”

“I insist,” Elpis said firmly. She paused awkwardly before sputtering out, “It--you look good. In it.”

They stared at each other for a long moment before Elpis bit her lip, turned, and all but ran out of the breakroom. Ardyn laughed, a bit breathlessly, and decided he would never, ever get rid of his plain black sweater.

**Author's Note:**

> I was talking to my friend Val (valkyrieofardyn on tumblr) about Ardyn in glasses, which led to a discussion of library AUs. Since I do actually work for a library, I couldn't resist the plotbunny that came my way. Plus I needed something fun and fluffy to write in between chapters of "What Twist of Fate".
> 
> This Ardyn is based more on the character we see in the Prologue and the Episode. Though daemon!Ardyn would fit right in at a library, too.


End file.
